Breathe Easy—5 tips to stay cold and flu free

By Vicki Hackman

Sure, you could suffer through a fall workout or race with a drippy nose, headache, and mild fever if you had to. But who wants to? Put this five-point defense plan into action and breathe easy—straight through to the finish of cold and flu season.

1. Clean your hands. It bears repeating: hands spread germs. Avoid touching your nose or eyes (where germs often invade) with unclean hands. Wash yours thoroughly and often, using soap and hot water, especially after touching doorknobs, exercise equipment, or other surfaces in a public setting. Also carry an antibacterial hand sanitizer with you to kill germs immediately and easily.

2. Get your ZZZs. Not getting a sufficient amount of quality sleep can impair your immune system, making it more difficult to fend off illness. Aim for 7 -8 hours of solid sleep each night.

3. Nourish your body. Give your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy: fresh, whole foods that contain the vitamins, minerals, and other compounds to support a strong immune system. As insurance, rely on high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements and particularly antioxidants.

4. Sprinkle on the yeast (and get happy)! Research shows that regular, moderate exercise boosts immunity, but intense, hard-core training and overtraining can lower it. A new study found that athletes who consumed a spoonful of nutritional yeast daily in the weeks after a marathon not only were less likely to suffer respiratory tract infections than those who took a placebo, but they also enjoyed better mood!

5. Whey healthier. Studies show that whey protein is a potent immune system booster. It supports the production of the key antioxidant glutathione, and also enhances the function of neutrophils, allowing your body to efficiently fight off disease-causing invaders.

Build-your-immunity toolkit

Now is the time to build your cold and flu "bug out" bag - before cold and flu germs settle in for the season. Hammer Nutrition's highly effective wellness products are up to the job:

Soni-Pure - This alcohol-free antibacterial hand sanitizer has been shown to kill 100% of aerobic bacterial, mold, and fungi for up to 8 hours. Keep one in your bag and one in your car.

Super Antioxidant - Give your immune system the extra boost it needs, particularly after a hard workout or race, when free radicals are fired up to do damage.

Whey Protein - This hardworking protein (available as a powder mix and a tasty food bar) boosts immunity and enhances recovery. Take it especially after a workout. Bonus: mix a scoop of Whey Protein powder in water and drink before bedtime to raise human growth hormone enough to noticeably boost health and performance!

REM Caps - Take 1-2 capsules of this antioxidant-fortified, natural supplement at bedtime for a solid night of quality sleep.

Nasol - Reach for this effective, natural spray to soothe and moisturize nasal passages and sinuses.

Don't wait for a sore throat or sneezing attack to be your signal to act. Strengthen your defenses now! HN

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Hammer Nutrition

Founded in 1987 by Brian Frank, Hammer Nutrition provides superlative products, proprietary knowledge, and 5-star service to health conscious athletes all over the world.